Episode 170: THE KING OF MARVIN GARDENS (1972)

Bob Rafelson’s third film, THE KING OF MARVIN GARDENS, plays out differently than you may think. For the most part, it moves like series of disconnected examples, testing characters like David (Jack Nicholson) and Sally (Ellen Burstyn) as Jason (Bruce Dern), David’s brother, leads them on a doomed plot through post-settling, pre-gambling Atlantic City to get rich quick by buying an island off the coast of Hawaii. David seems to know it’s a farce, like everything Jason’s tried for 30 years; Sally’s given herself completely to Jason; and Jessica – Sally’s stepdaughter – falls prey to Jason’s charming, scheming sleight-of-hand. The moving parts among this small cohort – compacted by Lewis (Benjamin “Scatman” Crothers), the crime boss bearing down on Jason – create a pressure keg of hopes, dreams, myths, and the harsh realities that pierce through them all. In this episode, we break down how the structure and approach of THE KING OF MARVIN GARDENS helps it stand out, even if those same things can make it harder to find something to hold onto. Links: The Projection Booth Podcast Episode 171: The King of Marvin Gardens (1972): https://www.projectionboothpodcast.com/2014/06/episode-171-king-of-marvin-gardens.html?m=0 “The King of Marvin Gardens: A Killing” by Mark Le Fanu for The Current: https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/1670-the-king-of-marvin-gardens-a-killing - Buy tickets to “DISHONORABLE DISTINCTION: BRUCE DERN’S 1970s” (April 2022 at the Trylon Cinema): https://www.trylon.org/films/category/dishonorable-distinction-bruce-derns-1970s/ Buy tickets to “AGNÈS VARDA: DIEU DU CINÉMA” (May 2022 at the Trylon): https://www.trylon.org/films/category/agnes-varda-dieu-du-cinema/ - Buy tickets to “ISHIRÔ HONDA’S GODZILLA” (May 2022 at the Trylon): https://www.trylon.org/films/category/ishiro-hondas-godzilla/ Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/trylovepodcast and email us at [email protected] to get in touch! Buy tickets and support the Trylon at https://www.trylon.org/. Theme: "Raindrops" by Huma-Huma/"No Smoking" PSA by John Waters. Timestamps 0:00 - Episode 170: THE KING OF MARVIN GARDENS (1972) 2:32 - The episode actually starts 4:22 - The Patented Aaron Grossman Summary 7:18 - Character studies and the brother dynamic 20:40 - The mythology of Atlantic City 26:10 - Sally 38:12 - The ending 57:59 - Cody’s Noteys: Trylove Gardens (dramatic readings of Letterboxd reviews)